Germany's Nuremberg Symphony Appoints New Chief Conductor

Jonathan Darlington's initial five-year tenure will be celebrated with the orchestra in three upcoming events.

The new chief conductor will give a press conference at Nuremberg's Music Hall at Congress Hall on March 18 followed by a concert at 5:30 p.m. that evening, titled "Everybody's Darlington."

Two weeks later on April 3, Darlington will conduct the Nuremberg Symphony featuring soloists Gunther Haussknecht (bagpipes), Ariel Barnes (cello) and Enriko Milivojevic (viola) in a wide-ranging program consisting of Albert Roussel’s Bacchus et Ariane, Suite No. 2 Op. 43, Peter Maxwell Davies’s An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise and Richard Strauss’s Don Quixote, Fantastic Variations Op. 35. You can purchase tickets here.

Since 2018, Darlington has served as Music Director Emeritus at Vancouver Opera, a position that has enriched the orchestra with his knowledge of repertoire ranging from baroque to contemporary music. Prior to that, he served as Deputy to the Music Director Myung Whun Chung at the Paris Opera, in addition to leading the French experimental opera group ARCAL, conducting acclaimed avant-garde productions.

His upcoming appearances include leading the Wiener Staatsoper, Semperoper Dresden, Frankfurt Oper, Hamburg Staatsoper, Leipzig Oper, Paris Opera and Paris Opera Ballet, and Warsaw Philharmonic, among others.

“My colleagues on and behind the stage and I are enthusiastic and particularly excited," said Professor Lucius A. Hemmer, Artistic Director of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra. "Jonathan Darlington’s rare blend of artistic excellence, infectious vitality and charming communication skills will be an absolute godsend for us and our audience.”.

Sebastian Weber, Director of the Orchestra’s Musicians added: “We are certain we will be able to benefit from the experienced of our preferred candidate, and are very much looking forward to working with him.”

“I can’t wait to build on the strengths of this great orchestra full of talented, open-minded and sensitive musicians and I’m sure that together we can develop into an exceptional ensemble,” commented Darlington.